As I sit and write this, I am drinking a Dr. Pepper from a bottle featuring an image of Harrison Ford as the whip-cracking Indiana Jones, promoting Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. My husband (and fellow www.roddenberry.com writer) Dennis is drinking a Coke Zero on ice from a glass tumbler with a picture of the latest Indy movie poster, part of a 4-glass set featuring all the movie posters. Along with the tremendous buzz about the new movie itself, there has been a flurry of products and advertising, much as one might expect to see from the Star Wars universe when The Clone Wars is released later this year, or from the Star Trek universe as we get closer to next year's ST:XI. Some will say this is blatant commercialism, just a way to make more money, and it is hard to disagree with that. However, I also like to think that some of the many Indiana Jones related offerings are also designed to entertain us about this much beloved character and his world.

Naturally, the Dr. Pepper I purchased is just a money-maker. Nothing really special about it, but it did have an ad for a sweepstakes being run by www.expedia.com where you can win an “Indy Travel Adventure”. While you don't have to purchase anything to enter, the catch is that you have to give them your name, e-mail and postal address so that they can send you promotional messages. Sure, someone will win the trip, but their main goal is to get more traffic to their site. The same with the special M&Ms I mentioned in a previous article...while the candy is good, and there is a nifty little game at their site, it's just advertising, plain and simple. Nothing wrong with that. Heck, I enjoyed the Star Wars M&M promotion, and even have some of the little figures sitting on my shelf.

As you would expect, the previous movies have been re-released, both individually and as a set, with new bonus features. What I did not expect though was the display at Blockbuster Video with not only the movies, but the previously mentioned tumbler set, mounted pictures from the new movie, baseball hats, and even the traditional Indy fedora. Yea, my husband and I are sometimes suckers for movie and TV stuff, so we bought the tumblers. At least those are useful things. Still, they don't really entertain us, as all they do is sit and look nice.

Entertainment in this case takes on two basic media forms: TV and books. In his column on Monday, Dennis reviewed the Sci-Fi Channel program “The Mystery of the Crystal Skulls” which I thought was interesting, entertaining, and even educational. The History Channel has been airing a similar program, “Indiana Jones and the Ultimate Quest”, looking at the items Indy has searched for in his adventures and trying to sort the fact from the fiction. That one, I watched for a few minutes, but it really didn't reach out and grab me, so I changed the channel...seemed to be to dry for my tastes. The History Channel is also airing The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (also known as The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles), the TV series from the early 1990s, which was also recently re-released on DVD. Prospective viewers please be aware: the episodes airing on The History Channel may not be the originals as first aired. Never having watched the series myself, I have to admit to being confused by the talk about editing and re-editing, and I am not sure which version they are using.

It is sad to think about how many people in our society don't read for enjoyment. I'm not talking about those who don't know how to read (and that is sad also), and I know that many of us do read newspapers and information on the internet, but I'm talking about sitting down and turning the pages of a book for the sheer pleasure. Granted, I don't have the time to do as much reading as I would like, but I do try to make time when I can. I was quite pleased to see special displays at our local Barnes & Noble and Boarders bookstores, featuring not just novelizations of current and upcoming movies, but also other books related to the films. While the displays had items related to Iron Man, Hulk, Batman, and Narnia, a clear majority of the items were from the world of Indy. Not only has the novelization of the movie already been released (in both hardcover and audio), but readers can also get the novel versions of the first three movies. My husband and I travel quite a bit, and we purchased the new audio book, and I have already listened to the first disc. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that the introductory music was NOT John Williams “Theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark” as I had hoped it would be. Also, I guess I'm spoiled by the wonderful voice work of Jim Dale on the Harry Potter books, but I'm not impressed by reader L. J. Ganser, at least not so far. I do think the author, James Rollins, has done a good job of describing the very visual aspects of the story.

For those wanting to read a little something different, I have two recommendations. One is “The Lost Journal of Indiana Jones” (text and illustrations by Anthony “Indy” Magnoli). With it's fake leather cover and special pages, it is designed to look like it could really be Indy's diary, which has (fictionally) been in the possession of The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, courtesy of the KGB. The “diary” includes entries written by Indy about various adventures, both those depicted in the four movies and those at other times in his life, pictures, maps, drawings, and even fake “notes” from Russians regarding diary entries. I found it a very fun read, and very accurate in terms of the connections between the entries and the movies.

The other is “The Indiana Jones Handbook: The Complete Adventurer's Guide” by Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese. With both pictures from all four films and other illustrations, the authors give “essential information for would-be adventurers of all ages”, such as how to plan and pack for an expedition, how to use a bullwhip, how to escape quicksand, how to handle awkward foods, how to deal with various members of the animal kingdom (elephants, snakes, spiders, etc.), and even how to decipher hieroglyphs (complete with a translation chart). This book is written from today's perspective, advising adventurers to remember their cell phones and GPS devices, but is also fictional in nature, written as if Indiana Jones were a real person and even the things that are impossible can be accomplished. I will commend the authors – they do indicate that some of the things in the book are dangerous, and when giving the instructions on how to use a bullwhip, they advise safety and caution.

If you can't wait for the movie (releasing today), and don't have time to read the novel, Dark Horse Comics has the solution – the official graphic novel of the movie. Adapted by John Jackson Miller with pencils by Luke Ross and Cliff Richards, it's 88 pages give us the story, and hint at the action that we will see on the big screen. The artwork is nicely done, but as with some other licensed properties I have seen, I personally am not very happy with the faces in many of the panels, especially Marion's face. In some ways I wish I had not read the graphic novel, as it did tell some plot points that I would have preferred to find out at the theater...so be warned.

Families interested in Indiana Jones may want to look for some books designed for younger fans. DK Publishing has released sticker books, and many of the old Indiana Jones novels that were originally published for young readers in the late 1980s and early 1990s have been released again. Heck, there's even a “Mad Libs” book based on Indy (for those of us old enough to remember that fun word game). If you cannot find them at your local bookstore, try www.amazon.com and check their Indiana Jones Store. In addition to books and DVDs, you can get clothes, the soundtrack CD, and you can also pre-order the new video game LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (available for a variety of platforms), along with traditional LEGO sets based on the movies.

All in all, even with the commercialism, I think this latest Indy movie has given us some reasons to do some adventuring ourselves, into the past and the wonder that is Indy's world. No matter how you choose to supplement your enjoyment of the movie, I think you will find plenty of things to entertain Indiana Jones fans of all kinds. 

Photo credits:  EW.com, starwars.com, & Simonsays.com